The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1887-11-25

10y must wait at It's meeting point
thirty minutes for variation of watches.
and then 1t can proceed to It's next
meeting point The train having the
right Of way also waits live minutes
for variation OF watches. Trains are
classified, passenger trains having the
right of way over freights and the lat
ter over work trains.
"ThIs may look very simple, but
when you take into consideration that
the two trains in question are only a
small part of the number that are, at
the same time. under the supervision
OF the dispatcher. it will be seen that
travellers are trusting themselves
blindIy to an unseen power The
essential points of a train-diSpatchcr
are sobricty, strict attention to duty
and brain quick enough to grasp any
problem that may present itself Dis
patchcrs work eight hours day and
are paid in the West from 81, 500 to
to $4,000 yearly, according to their
service"
A merchant, who had drawn chair
up to the group, told It story of scene
in dispatcher's Office. He said: 81
was sitting in the dispntchcrs' office of
the Michigan Central road at Jack
son, Mich, some years ago. chatting
with school friend. who was then u
contractor on the road. Every thing
seemed to be running smoothly. and
the four dispatcEcrS were throwing Il
big ball Of paper At each Others heads.
A warning let up came from one of
them, and the next instant he was
gazing thoughtfully at his train sheet.
He then opened his key and sent an
order 1t was repeated to him. and
the moment he gave the o. X. and
stuck his pen in the rack, bang! came
the wad of paper. and the fusiladc
began again. remarked to my friend
that these men acted rather kittCnish
for men who had so much response
bility, and he replied: You see they
have strain on their minds. and they
cut up just such didos to relieve il; but
their cars are open, and they hear
every word that comes on the wire. "
81 know Il train-dispatchcr story
that will lay you all out put in II
commercial traveller. II was sitting
in the Office of the Dixon House in
Ncwton,l Ia, one afternoon away back
in 1878, swapping stories with several
drummcrs, when one of them exclaimed:
Here comes Blonde. the millincr!'
NATURALLY thinking there was
pretty woman i'll the question, we ran
to the window, only to see young
man go across the street, carrying u
sample case in each hand. His hair
was as white as snow. There's a
curious case said shoe man from
Chicago. He's one of the incest fell
lows in the world. but he's sensitive
about his hair. We called him Blonde
until one day he told me how his mis-
fortune overlook him. He was u train
on the Chicago IL Alton
road, and had sent an order for pas
Scngcr train to meet the presidents
special ut II certain place and then or
icred the special by the meeting point.
Both trains had been reported rs hav-
ing left their respective stations five
minutes when he picked up his order
book and saw his mistake. There was
no way to stop them. He sat in his
chair paralyzcd. rs he expressed it.
Fourteen carloads of passengers and
, special of IN engine and two cars
loaded with directors of the road with
heir friends and ladies were rushing
At each other at the rate of thirty I'VE
miles an hour, II was sure death for vt
east half of the passengers, and
total annihilation for the special
rain. AS he sat there he could see
he trains approach each other, for he
knew every foot of the road; knew en-
,ctly where each train was, now
curve, again crossing a
bridge. until in his minds eye he saw
he trains meet in deep cut. He saw
he two engines crash into each other |
ike leviathans of the rail, telescoping |
both trains and piling the wrecked |
,ars upon each other in an indcscrib- |
,ble heap. He heard the shricks and |
rroans of the wounded, aud saw the |
forms of somebody's loved |
,nes, until the horrible scene became |
Utmost too much for his reason. He |
ried to raise from his chair. hut Gould |
lot. His blood turned hot and cold,
md then he felt prickly sensation at
he roots of his hair. He was struggling
,ut of his chair to get drink of water
o relieve his faintncss. when he heard
Ms call on the soundcr. Mechanically |
he opened the circuit and responded.
The operator ut the station to which
le sent the order to the special then